Stabilization of emulsion polymerization by block and graft copolymers with polysiloxane and poly[(acetylimino)ethylene] sequences

Amphiphilic block and graft copolymers with polysiloxane and poly[(acetylimino)ethylene] sequences were used as nonionic surfactants in the emulsion polymerization of some vinyl monomers (styrene, methyl methacrylate, butyl methacrylate). The peculiarities of the systems (polymerization kinetics and emulsion characteristics) were related to the structural features of the studied emulsifiers and suggested their ability to participate in initiation and transfer reactions and respectively clouding phenomena in aqueous phase.     

On the Electron‐Transfer Mechanism in the Contact‐Electrification Effect

A long debate on the charge identity and the associated mechanisms occurring in contact‐electrification (CE) (or triboelectrification) has persisted for many decades, while a conclusive model has not yet been reached for explaining this phenomenon known for more than 2600 years! Here, a new method is reported to quantitatively investigate real‐time charge transfer in CE via triboelectric nanogenerator as a function of temperature, which reveals that electron transfer is the dominant process for CE between two inorganic solids. A study on the surface charge density evolution with time at various high temperatures is consistent with the electron thermionic emission theory for triboelectric pairs composed of Ti–SiO₂ and Ti–Al₂O₃. Moreover, it is found that a potential barrier exists at the surface that prevents the charges generated by CE from flowing back to the solid where they are escaping from the surface after the contacting. This pinpoints the main reason why the charges generated in CE are readily retained by the material as electrostatic charges for hours at room temperature. Furthermore, an electron‐cloud–potential‐well model is proposed based on the electron‐emission‐dominatedcharge‐transfer mechanism, which can be generally applied to explain all types of CE in conventional materials.     

Ultrasonic-assisted synthesis and magnetic studies of iron oxide/MCM-41 nanocomposite

Iron oxide nanoparticles were stabilized within the pores of mesoporous silica MCM-41 amino-functionalized by a sonochemical method. Formation of iron oxide nanoparticles inside the mesoporous channels of amino-functionalized MCM-41 was realized by wet impregnation using iron nitrate, followed by calcinations at 550 °C in air. The effect of functionalization level on structural and magnetic properties of obtained nanocomposites was studied. The resulting materials were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction (HRTEM and SAED), vibrating sample and superconducting quantum interface magnetometers (VSM and SQUID) and nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms measurements. The HRTEM images reveal that the most of the iron oxide nanoparticles were dispersed inside the mesopores of silica matrix and the pore diameter of the amino-functionalized MCM-41 matrix dictates the particle size of iron oxide nanoparticles. The obtained material possesses mesoporous structure and interesting magnetic properties. Saturation magnetization value of magnetic iron oxide nanopatricles stabilized in MCM-41 amino-functionalized by in situ sonochemical synthesis was 1.84 emu g⁻¹. An important finding is that obtained magnetic nanocomposite materials exhibit enhanced magnetic properties than those of iron oxide/MCM-41 nanocomposite obtained by conventional method. The described method is providing a rather short preparation time and a narrow size distribution of iron oxide nanoparticles.     

Keystroke dynamics enabled authentication and identification using triboelectric nanogenerator array

Cyber security has become a serious concern as the internet penetrates every corner of our life over the last two decades. The rapidly developing human–machine interfacing calls for an effective and continuous authentication solution. Herein, we developed a two-factor, pressure-enhanced keystroke-dynamics-based security system that is capable of authenticating and even identifying users through their unique typing behavior. The system consists of a rationally designed triboelectric keystroke device that converts typing motions into analog electrical signals, and a support vector machine (SVM) algorithm-based software platform for user classification. This unconventional keystroke device is self-powered, stretchable and water/dust proof, which makes it highly mobile and applicable to versatile working environments. The promising application of this novel system in the financial and computing industry can push cyber security to the next level, where leaked passwords would possibly be of no concern.     

Endogenous levels of nitrites and nitrates in wide consumption foodstuffs: Results of five years of official controls and monitoring

The massive introduction of nitrogen fertilisers, necessary to maximise the global food production, has brought about an increase of the residual amounts of nitrites and nitrates in the products. Notoriously, these compounds may exercise toxic effects.     

Effects of Metal Work Function and Contact Potential Difference on Electron Thermionic Emission in Contact Electrification

Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is a direct measure of the surface charge density, thus providing a novel and powerful tool to study the essential mechanism of contact electrification (CE). A variety of TENGs including a Pt‐Al₂O₃ TENG, Au‐Al₂O₃ TENG, Ti‐Al₂O₃ TENG, Al‐Al₂O₃ TENG, and SiO₂‐Al₂O₃ TENG are prepared in this study. After introducing initial charges on the Al₂O₃ surface of the TENGs, the long‐term evolution of surface charge quantity is investigated at different temperatures. The results show that charge variation of all the TENGs is analogous to exponential decay and is in accord with the thermionic emission model, verifying the electron transfer dominated mechanism of CE. Additionally, it is explored for the first time that the potential barrier of materials can be regulated by changing the contacting metals or dielectrics. Regulation of the barrier at high temperatures fully excludes the influence of ions from moisture and functional groups, which further indicates the dominant role played by electron transfer in CE. Surface state models for explaining barrier regulation during CE for both metal–dielectric and dielectric–dielectric pairs are proposed. This study provides a new perspective of the exploration of CE, and a novel method for further increasing or rapidly eliminating electrification of charged materials.     

Design of experiments applied to the study of the reaction between phenylphosphonic dichloride with bisphenol by inverse phase transfer catalysis method

The reaction of phenylphosphonic dichloride with bisphenol A (BA) by inverse phase transfer catalysis method was investigated. The design of experiments method was applied to establish the correlation between the simultaneous influence of the parameters (alkaline medium, reaction temperature, reagents molar ratio, and stirring speed) on yield and inherent viscosity, as well as for identifying the best reaction conditions. This method allows the simultaneous variation of control factors, thus decreasing the number of experiments in the polyphosphate synthesis. The process control factors used in this study were reagents' molar ratio, base concentration, and reaction temperature. The experimental results using 20 and 14 process runs, lead to an optimal synthesis procedure. The optimal values for yield and viscosity were obtained at molar ratio = 1, base concentration = 1.1 M, and reaction temperature = ?12°C and have been experimentally verified with a series of four runs. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Quality of nectarine and peach nectars as affected by lye-peeling and storage

This study was focused on nectarine and peach nectars, with the aim to evaluate different quality indices at the time of production and to devise a predictive model for quality variation during storage at 23 and 37 °C. Nectars were produced from the Elegant Lady and Redhaven peach varieties and from the Stark Red Gold nectarine variety, from both peeled and unpeeled fruits. The effects of processing on antioxidant contents, antioxidant activity and colour were evaluated. At the time of production, β-carotene ranged from 0.52 to 0.79 mg/kg, hydroxycinnamic acids (chlorogenic and neochlorogenic) from 34 to 73 mg/kg, catechin from 0 to 24 mg/kg, quercetin 3-O-glycosides from 3.9 to 12.7 mg/kg, and cyanidin 3-O-glucoside from 0 to 9.4 mg/kg. Within the same variety, carotenoid and phenolic contents were lower in the nectars obtained from peeled fruits than in those obtained from unpeeled fruits. However, as ascorbic acid was adjusted to a level of 300 mg/kg during blending, which is far higher than the observed levels of phenolics and carotenoids, it mainly accounted for nectar radical-scavenging activity towards the 2,2-diphenyl-1-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)hydrazyl radical, which on average was 1.8 mmoles Trolox equivalents/kg. The colour of nectars was improved by processing lye-peeled fruits at room temperature, whatever the variety used; i.e., this process decreased the redness index, a^∗, and increased the lightness index, L^∗, and yellowness index, b^∗, with respect to the traditional process.     

3D Confinement Regulates Cell Life and Death

Biophysical properties of the cellular microenvironment, including stiffness and geometry, have been shown to influence cell function. Recent findings have implicated 3D confinement as an important regulator of cell behavior. The understanding of how mechanical signals direct cell function is based primarily on 2D studies. To investigate how the extent of 3D confinement affects cell function, a single cell culture platform is fabricated with geometrically defined and fully enclosed microwells and it is applied to investigate how niche volume and stiffness affect human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) life and death. The viability and proliferation of hMSCs in confined 3D microniches are compared with unconfined cells in 2D. Confinement biases hMSC viability and proliferation, and this influence depends on the niche volume and stiffness. The rate of cell death increases and proliferation markedly decreases upon 3D confinement. The observed differences in hMSC behavior are correlated to changes in nuclear morphology and YES-associated protein (YAP) localization. In smaller 3D microniches, hMSCs display smaller and more rounded nuclei and primarily cytoplasmic YAP localization, indicating reduced mechanical activation upon confinement. Interestingly, these effects scale with the extent of 3D confinement. These results demonstrate that the extent of confinement in 3D can be an important regulator of cell function.